Calm Before the Storm
by LucySpiller
Summary: Gleggie/Glaggie. What happens when Maggie saves Glenn life, will he continue to live with them or move on alone?
1. Chapter 1

_One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying._  
 _\- Joan of Arc_

The blurry walls surrounding him were his first images as his eyes had begun to try flutter open despite the agonising urge to keep them closed. The immense pain in his body grew, shooting from his head to his feet causing him a involuntary sound to escape from his mouth. Shifting his body up the best he could, he begun to take in where he was. This wasn't home, nor anywhere he'd been before. This definitely wasn't Atlanta.

Observing his own body he began to see the heaps of bandages covering his skin. Several limbs were tightly secured and the remaining revealed patches were full of dark bruises and cuts. He knew something had happened; something bad by the looks of his body and this was only just the artificial wounds he could see. His insides felt like they had been moved around and played with while he slept and the several bandages around his abdomen only confirmed that.

He wanted to move, to get up, to try explore where he was. The vulnerability had begun to set in like a dark matter at the back of his mind as he realised how wounded he was/had been. The pale curtains had allowed some light to reach into the box room, which made him comfortable knowing the world still hadn't ended despite what remained of it. Before he had found himself here, the world had gone from normal to nothing. A virus they said on the news, had swept the continents destroying any evidence of humanity and creating what they described as "dead eating people" to cover the globe. No one had believed the rumours, thinking it was some government publicity stunt and that's when the cities were overtaken one by one. The news stations had broken down completely and the secured shelters were vast. It was now survival of the fittest.

The memories made his body shake with fear. The torturous scenes he had seen in Atlanta had scarred him for the rest of his life.

"You're quite safe here son" a strong southern accent filled the air. The apparent layer of sweat on his forehead had informed the strangers of his fears. As the old man walked closer to the bed, stepping with precaution, knowing that as scared as he was the man was just the same, he approached with what appeared to be a glass full of liquid.

"It's just water, drink up" He informed the young lad in front of him.

He didn't hesitate, feeling no need to not trust the man stood near him, and allowed the liquid to moist his mouth and throat for what seemed like weeks. A weak smile appeared on his face.

"What's your name?" He asked, finally able to swallow.

"Greene, Hershel Greene, and yourself?"

"Glenn, Glenn Rhee" He spoke.

"Well Glenn Rhee, my daughter picked you up in a pretty bad shape, but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that" He said, suggesting the pain Glenn had been experiencing since the second his eyes opened. "These will help" He handed over two white tablets and further cup of water from the jug he had put behind him.

Glenn had so many questions he wanted to ask, many were just simple ones like where was he, what had really happened that his mind had seemed to forgot, and then there were the complex questions about what he had seen before he brought here, was it real, was it still happening?

"How did I…" Glenn started his ask when the sound little feet running in the landing interrupted him. With a small knock on the door, a head shortly popped around to peek inside.

"Josephine" Hershel had transformed within seconds to a strict grandfather. His figure had grown and his southern accent had deepened. "What did I tell you about coming in here?" He reiterated. On several various occasions he had explained that man was sick and she was stay away until he was better, that was the nicest way to explain to a five year old that they didn't know if the man was a threat yet to them and his family.

"I'm sorry Papa" Her small head sunk into her chest whilst her brown pigtails flopped past her cheeks. Tears began to fall fast from her brown-marble like eyes, causing the instant use of her sleeve to wipe away the stray tears from her rosy cheeks. Her sweet button nose stood out now. Without further warning Hershel had walked closer to the child and put his arms around her body, rubbing her back smoothly in circles like he had down for years with both his girls until her cries subsided.

"Josie?" A female voice sounded frantic downstairs, it was evident she was searching for what Glenn assumed was young girl in this room. The cries were loud and would have heard from at least two rooms away if not further. The sound of feet hitting the stairs loudly didn't leave her entrance unexpected.

"Josie?" the last desperate call came until she slowly peaked into the room, seeing the door slightly opened and her little girl and father stood close by the bed. She ran straight to her daughter, rubbing away the tears near her chin and planting soft kisses all her face. "Don't do that again, you scared me" she had a similar southern accent that made his heart flatter.

"I'm sorry momma" she held onto her daughter tightly refusing to let go as quickly as she normally would. Picking her daughter up in her arms, which thankfully she still could do every now and then she turned to face the man whom she had found outside in the road, sitting up and looking alert.

"Glenn, this is my daughter Maggie" Hershel introduced his eldest daughter to the stranger from Atlanta.

Please let me know what you think! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

There was an awkward silence as Hershel signaled for Josie to leave with him. "Come on Josie, we can go get the eggs?" Hershel asked his grandchild who nodded excitedly and followed him out of the room leaving them to talk alone.

Maggie had many obvious questions that may help them make it through the harsh winter ahead. This man had come from other places and may remember locations that she hadn't looked for supplies and necessities yet. There was also the burning question of what he had planned for the future. Her daughter was the biggest priority and even though this man seemed harmless what was she to really know about him? Other than his obvious complexion and warming smile.

Breaking the silence between them, Glenn looked up to catch her glazing at him. "Was it you... umm, you who found me?" He asked, gulping hardly as his throat was dry again.

"Yes" She simply replied. Maggie hasn't consider herself a hero or brave, but courteous. In a world losing hope she had kept her faith. She had acted with only compassion for young Asian man whom she found. She wasn't anything extraordinary just a woman who still believed in humanity.

"I was out trying to find something and then I saw you..." He waited for her continue the story. Something in her eyes showed the pain of countless people she hadn't managed to save. "You looked bad..." she didn't quite know to explain the rest but the images that were haunting her mind again were enough to make her body shake.

Glenn could see her instant discomfort at remembering how she found him. He knew he must have looked bad because he still felt like he'd been in a battle with something indestructible.

"That's your girl right?" He asked changing the subject. Maggie nodded, for the first time a proud smile emerged. "Yes, Josephine" He waited for her to continue. "Best thing that's ever happened to me". The pride was beaming like a light from her. She sounded like any other proud mom would when they spoke about their child. He wanted to ask more questions like if her father was still around but sensed she wasn't comfortable around him yet. Even now when they were talking she was keeping her distance as she stood close to do like she was ready to run out if she had too.

"Do you have any children?" She asked. He didn't seem like the kind to have children. You could normally tell and his first concern when he woke up wasn't to find anyone.

"I don't..." His voice full of regret. He thought of the many times he could have settled down and didn't.

"Family?"

"Not here" He said shortly. He had come to this neck of the woods alone, with big dreams ahead of him, much to his family disapproval. He wanted to make something of himself and he was determined he'd get there, so he moved across the world to do it. There were so many times he wished he could turn back around and be where he knew his way but then the whole anticipation of what was unknown had become like a drug to him. He had given himself two years to make his dreams work, and that had already been extended to three.

"When I last heard the news, it didn't sound promising" He spoke up. He didn't want to seem rude or uninterested but the answers she wanted he didn't know nor would he likely ever be able to find out the outcome of his family

"I'm sorry" Her head sunk into her chest as she realised how lucky she truly was. "Most of my family is gone too…" She explained. "I'm lucky that I still have my father who you've met, and Beth, my sister and of course Josie"

"What about your mom?" He asked.

Maggie tried to smile to stop the tears. "She's gone… she went a long time before this happened" She looked around the room; anywhere except his eyes to see the pity she always received. "It's the only thing that makes me somewhat glad she never got to see this happen".

"I get you, you know?" He spoke up. "My dad passed away when I was young too. It was sudden and they didn't really know why" He described like it was only yesterday. Everything had happened so quickly and so his mom was left with him and his old sisters alone. They had spent their lives trying to make her life as easy as possible.

Just as Maggie went to respond the door opened and in flew the youngest Greene member. "Mommy" She chimed.

Maggie mouthed the word sorry to Glenn who just seemed smitten already by the young girl. "What sweetie?" Maggie kneeled down to her daughters level.

"I collected more eggs than Granddad" She let out an almighty giggle seeing the adults around her laugh along at how happy she was at that achievement. She waved goodbye to Glenn and run back downstairs and outdoors to join her granddad in more of the outdoor chores.

"Does he always let her win?" Glenn asked with a proud smirk across his face.

Maggie nodded and laughed. "Yes" She couldn't help but smile as she walked towards the window and looked out to see her daughter following her father around. She had been told the basics of what was going on but had never been shown what was actually happening. They didn't want her childhood to be ruined by the images of what the world had become. She would learn like any girl living on a farm how to use a small shotgun, only with supervision though and when she was older enough.

"What does it look like?" Glenn asked Maggie. She turned on the spot to look at him.

"You mean outside?"

He nodded. He hadn't seen it for a while. In his mind he saw it burnt down and looking like something that would resemble hell, where nothing could live or exist anymore.

"It looks normal" She shrugged. When she saw the disappoint on his face she carried on. "The fields around us are so green, everywhere is ready for autumn. The trees, are slowly getting bare as all the leaves are falling" She saw a smile on face. "There's a small windmill in the distance and it's kept turning no matter what, I think it's the high winds we always get here but still".

"Did you wanna look?" She asked.

Glenn frowned. "I don't know if I can walk…" He confessed. His body was still pretty beaten up and his strength was nowhere near recovered.

"I'll help you." She said with nothing but confidence. "Come on" She pulled back the cover and put one of his arms around her neck. Carefully helping him get off the bed and stand besides her. She was bearing all of his weight and despite him being too heavy for her she managed to help him slowly move towards the opened window.

He breathed in the fresh air for the first time in days and smelt the outdoors scent. "Thank you Maggie"

"You're welcome Glenn" Maggie said his arms still sturdily around her neck.


End file.
